Jekyll Island is a unique and non-touristy coastal haven off the shores of Georgia. For a small tract of land it has a lot to offer. But its real claim to fame is the beautiful, haunted, Driftwood Beach.

We’ve traveled all over the world but this nearly deserted beach on a tiny island off the coast of Georgia holds a special place in our hearts. It’s beautiful in a spooky sort of way. It looks like it should be the back drop for some blockbuster movie set in a dystopian future.

We grew up an hour’s drive from the Georgia coast. And since growing up and having a family of our own we’ve often jumped in the car and spontaneously headed for the beach. Usually in the late winter/early spring when summer is so close you can almost taste it.

Driftwood beach is not a swimmer’s beach. It’s rare to sea sunbather’s and splashers on this particular stretch of sand. It’s a quiet, peaceful beach. It’s not touristy or flashy. And while popular (particularly for photographers) it’s almost always empty.

It’s a fantastic beach to take little ones. It’s uncrowded and they never get tired of climbing on all the fantastic trees. Nature’s jungle gym.

The driveway leading to the beach is lined with the sprawling oaks that coastal Georgia is known for. There’s shady parking available and a nice picnic area. We always pack a lunch.

Alongside the parking/picnic area is a grove of oaks that are lovely and provide even more opportunities for the perfect photo op.

Near the entrance of the driveway there’s also horseback riding available. We’ve never done it but we’ve often been passed by a small caravan of riders on the beach.

Jekyll Island is a part of the Georgia State Park system, which is a big reason the atmosphere is more nature-centered and less touristy than, say, nearby St. Simons Island (which we also love). Because it is a State Park, there is a parking fee to enter to island.

Basically, what’s not to love about Driftwood Beach? It’s quiet, lovely, and cheap. The perfect day trip for families with kids. My pictures really don’t do it justice. For some better landscapes, google this unique beach.

Yesterday we decided to take a spontaneous picnic to the Okefenokee Swamp Park entrance. The Park itself is pretty darn neat, but it costs roughly an arm and a leg to get in, especially if you want to do the good stuff (read: boat tour). But there are a couple of gardens and outer building you can access for free. Plus, you are still guaranteed a gator sighting. Because swamp.

So we walked around a bit and I attempted to capture gators on film in mid-day lighting on all manual settings (read: impossible).

We ate our peanut butter sandwiches outside the entrance.

And then we walked around the gift shop for a few minutes so that we could photo-op with ole Oscar and I could ask about ticket prices for the future.

I got my ticket price information, snagged a post card, and just as we were about to head back home someone from the park approached us. She introduced herself as someone from the church we call home and said she recognized us and had put together some guest passes so we could enter the park.

#birdsoftheair, amirite?

So we did the nature show, the train ride, and the boat tour in the limited amount of time we had left in our afternoon.

The swamp is equal parts terrifying and beautiful. It seriously contains all the worsts kinds of everything. Alligators, venomous snakes, spiders, every kind of flying bug that can bite or sting you (we fought off yellow flies something fierce yesterday. They are the worst).

Also, I climbed to the top of this 90 foot tower and now my legs are pretty sure I’m dying.

But the view was pretty.

Not bad for a random Wednesday afternoon. Once again, I love the flexibility of homeschooling.